The Department of Tourism announced that it is currently discussing plans with cruise line operators to consider stopping by Ilocos Norte as its northern gateway to Luzon.
“Talks are underway between cruise line operators and the DOT for their return at the ports of Currimao and a nearby private seaport of Omnico Resources Inc. in Badoc, Ilocos Norte,” officer-in-charge of the Ilocos Norte Tourism OfficeXavier Ruiz said.
He cited that for this year, the DOT is anticipating around 139 port calls at 46 destinations in the country. Ruiz noted that this figure is higher compared to the 102 port calls in 2019.
As part of the government’s economic recovery plans, both the Salomague port in Ilocos Sur and the Currimao port in Ilocos Norte were upgraded in 2021 to increase cruise calls in Region 1.
